


Pillow Fort

by i_am_not_a_bird



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Cassunzel Week (Disney), Cassunzel Week 2020 (Disney), F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Homecoming & Reunion, Love Confessions, Post-Canon, this is late and I wrote in a rush but who's counting?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25417009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_not_a_bird/pseuds/i_am_not_a_bird
Summary: Cassandra returns home to Corona after a year on the road for a night or two of rest. Rapunzel wants her to stay longer.
Relationships: Cassandra/Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 64





	Pillow Fort

**Author's Note:**

> For Cassunzel Week. Technically written for Day 1: Homecoming & Reunion, just... a few days late :)

Cassandra had not been expecting to come home to any kind of fanfare. She hadn't even written to let Rapunzel know she was coming back; it was a spur of the moment decision she had made partially because she really needed a day or two of rest and partially because all the wedding invitations and fluffy letters she had received from Rapunzel in the past couple of days had made her heartsick. It wasn't planned. Cassandra had expected to arrive quietly in the evening, drop Fidella off at the stables, find some clever way to greet the princess, and get a good night's sleep in her own bed for once.

But Rapunzel was out in the streets the evening she returned. And even with Cassandra's hood on and her head down, the princess still noticed her from across the street.

(It had to be because Fidella was with her. The horse's braided mane was distinctive from a distance, and she took up enough space to be easily noticeable. Cassandra was just another passerby.)

Cass saw Rapunzel first, a moment before the princess noticed her. Rapunzel was taste-testing one of Attila's cupcakes just outside Monty's Sweet Shoppe, chattering animatedly about something-or-other to the pub thug as he waited for her reaction to the cupcake. She turned her head slightly to the left, probably to look out distractedly at the castle, and her eyes landed suddenly on Cassandra.

There was a moment of pure surprise as Rapunzel's mouth dropped. Then she broke into a grin and burst into motion, and before Cassandra could think twice, she had launched herself into Cass's arms. Cassandra stumbled backwards in shock. She took a few moments to regain her bearings and return the hug, her heart fluttering strangely at the contact.

"Cass, you're back!" Rapunzel exclaimed. She gave one last tight squeeze before releasing Cassandra to look up at her eyes, her hands still hovering somewhere around Cass's wrists. "How long are you staying? How have your travels been? What have you been doing these past couple weeks? I haven't heard from you in so long, I was starting to get worried! Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

Cassandra couldn't keep from smiling despite herself. "One thing at a time, Raps." She took a step back, and Rapunzel released her hands. "II'll be here for a day or two, just a quick break before I get back on the road. I've been doing good. A little tired. It's been a few weeks since I left the last town, so I'm starting to get sick of sleeping in the woods. That's also why I haven't written; no towns mean no one to send letters back here."

"You should've come back sooner!" Rapunzel said. "Or kept in better touch! I've missed you so much, Cassandra. When you didn't show up to the wedding--"

Cassandra cut her off. "Hate to break up the welcome parade, but I think Attila might be upset you left him."

Rapunzel's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh my gosh! Do you think he is? I better go back and apologize."

She gave Cass an awkward pat on the shoulder and sprinted back to the entrance to the Sweet Shoppe. Through the din of the market square, Cassandra caught a few fragments of their conversation-- a polite _sorry_ and something about red velvet and sprinkles. Cassandra smiled softly. There was something about Rapunzel in action, so upbeat and lively and bright. Even the way she moved was captivating.

Cassandra shook her head to clear her thoughts and carried on through the streets, reminding herself she needed to return Fidella to the stables. She couldn’t let herself get distracted by beautiful, sunshiney princesses.

The palace was still mostly the same as it was when she left a year ago, aside from a few rearranged portraits here and there and an out-of-place end table outside the great hall that she nearly tripped over when she stumbled across it the first time. Her room, too, was just the same as it always was. She laid her bags on the desk and removed her cloak. It was evening now, and Cassandra could see the first wisps of the sunset painting the clouds pink outside her small window. She was exhausted, but it was too early to go to sleep just yet. She weighed her options and decided a walk in one of the gardens would probably be relaxing.

The gardens were nearly empty when she got there, just a solitary castle servant pruning the hydrangeas in the western corner. Owl was sitting in the redbud tree at the center. Cassandra smiled when she saw him. He had accompanied her for a good part of her travels, but he had been more than free to roam when he found interesting prey elsewhere or when he grew impatient with her slow daytime travel. She hadn't seen him since the day before yesterday.

Cassandra took a seat at the base of the redbud tree and let out a gusty sigh. It was nice to sit in silence in a place like this, where she was 100% there was nothing around to be afraid of. Cass always had difficulty letting her guard down, but this was the closest thing she had come to fully relaxing in months. Being finally home was a part of it. And seeing Rapunzel always seemed to improve her mood.

"Soooo. Blondie told me the ice princess was back."

And there went the moment.

"Just for a day or so, Fitzherbert. Then I'm heading back to the road," Cassandra said, looking sullenly out at the rose bushes. She absolutely did not want anybody to make a Whole Thing out of this.

"That's not how Rapunzel was acting," Eugene said, walking over from the garden entrance to stand beside the redbud. "You've caused quite a stir, you know that, right? The princess's best friend coming back home completely unannounced and then disappearing without another word doesn't really go under the radar."

Cassandra groaned. "A stir is the _last_ thing I want to happen. It doesn't have to be a big deal! I'm just visiting."

"Rapunzel also mentioned that part. You sure you don't want to stay for any longer?"

"I'm sure."

"Rapunzel would love you for it," he said in a sing-songy voice. "Not to mention, from the stories that have been going around about your travels, you would make a very good addition to the Guard if you wanted to join up."

"That's not what I want anymore." She sighed again, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her hands. "What exactly are you doing here, if not just pestering me?"

"Rapunzel missed you, Cass," Eugene said. Cassandra glanced over at him, looking away immediately when she saw the seriousness in his eyes. "She was devastated when she got the letter saying you wouldn't be able to make it to her wedding. Of course you coming back is going to be a big deal."

"It's really _not_ a big deal. She would've been devastated if anyone had said they couldn't come to the wedding. It's just because she's got a big heart."

"She was pretty happy when Uncle Monty never RSPV'd," Eugene said, and she could see his smirk out of the corner of her eyes.

"Okay, I'll give you that," Cassandra said. "Why are you pushing all this on me? I don't need a guilt parade right now; I just got back ."

"I'm telling you all this because I want Rapunzel to be happy," Eugene said, as it were obvious. "You have to realize how much you really did hurt her when you didn't show up. And if you're planning on being distant and icy and standoffish this whole visit, you're gonna hurt her even more. Why didn't you come to the wedding? I mean, I can begrudgingly understand not wanting to go through all that trouble to see _my_ beautiful face, but it was really important to Rapunzel. Did you just genuinely not care enough?"

"I care," Cassandra snapped. She realize a second too late that her ferocity might be a little too revealing, and she relented. "I care," she repeated, much softer.

"Well, you're really not acting like you do. You know, I want you to be happy too."

"You don't know me at all." Cassandra stood up abruptly and stalked back to the entrance of the gardens, pointedly ignoring his attempts to follow. "I don't want to talk to you about this. I'm getting some sleep."

"Cass," Eugene called as he ran after her. "Be honest with me: why didn't you come to the wedding?"

Cassandra came to a stop a few feet shy of the exit. She sighed and closed her eyes. "You're not gonna leave me alone until I explain myself, aren't you?"

"Nope."

"And you won't take 'I was in the middle of something' as a valid reason excuse for why I didn't drop by?"

"You had two months notice from the first invitation. Where could you have possibly been?"

Cassandra opened her eyes, glaring witheringly at an innocent tomato plant by the entrance. "I _was_ in the middle of something, for the record. That was part of it. Two months notice isn't a lot when you don't have a hot air balloon or magic rocks to get you where you need to go."

"Okay. That's part of it. And what's the rest?"

She turned around to meet Eugene's eyes. "It's because I'm selfish. I've always been selfish." She scoffed. "I didn't want to see you and Rapunzel get married because I was _jealous_ of you. And I'm not staying for long because I can't... I just... I need time, okay? I need time to get over her. I can go back to the way things were before, when I only ever thought of her as a friend, but I need time to get there."

She turned again to leave, but Eugene put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Have you told Rapunzel about any of this?" he asked.

"No. She wouldn't understand. And you _can't_ tell her, okay?"

"I think she would understand, Cass." There was something dangerously serious in his eyes that made Cassandra duck her head and stare at her feet instead. "I think she might even return the feelings. I've been suspecting something was up for a while. And there's nothing wrong with that, you know. A person can have two lovers."

"I know for a fact she doesn't return the feelings." Cassandra crossed her arms petulantly. "I'm like a sister to her, nothing more. She told me so."

"Sisters don't look at each the other the way she looks at you," Eugene says. "Maybe she was confused, or maybe she only said that because she was hoping it would calm you down, but I don't believe that's how she really feels. Why don't you talk to her about this?"

"And how are you the expert all of a sudden?" Cassandra snapped. "You weren't there, okay? I don't deserve her-- I never have. Just let me get through this on my own."

She left, ignoring Eugene's protests, and rounded the corner down the hallway to her room. She really didn't get it. Eugene had everything he could ever want. Why was her stupid unrequited crush on the princess any of his business? He was just being a nosy busybody. She wouldn't have been such a bother to him if the situation was reversed.

Well, she wouldn't have been pre-Rapunzel. She supposed having a real friend who also happened to be the living embodiment of sunshine had softened her a little more than she was willing to admit.

As she was turning the last corner before her room, Cassandra ran straight into the princess.

“Oh, _there_ you are!” Rapunzel said brightly. “You disappeared on me! I was gonna ask if I could sleep over in your room tonight. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

Cassandra stopped in her tracks. “Sleep... over?”

“Yeah, you know! Like a slumber party! We could build a blanket fort in your room like I did back when we first met. And uhhh, tell scary stories and stuff? I don’t know, I’ve never had a real slumber party before. But I'm excited to try!"

“Uh, shouldn’t you be spending the night with your husband, Rapunzel?” Cassandra asked.

“Eugene’s here everyday.” Rapunzel grabbed her hand and gave her a warm smile. “This is the first time I’ve seen you in person for a _year_ , Cass. We should celebrate!"

So it looked like her coming back really was going to be a Whole Thing. Cassandra supposed it was a little silly to think she would just be able to sneak in, stay the night, and leave just as quickly the next day. Rapunzel was never one for being relaxed about this kind of stuff. And maybe it was a little rude to be so resistant; Cassandra remembered a promise or two she’d made in the past couple years to try harder to be a better friend.

(Plus, it really _was_ hard to say no to Rapunzel.)

“Alright,” Cassandra said. “If you’d like to.” She paused, then added, "It’ll be nice to spend some time with you again.”

The grin that broke out on Rapunzel’s face made it worth it.

An hour later, Cassandra’s bedroom looked less like the room of an aspiring adventurer-warrior in her 20s and more like a six year old’s birthday party. Not that she was complaining. In a way, it was almost cozy. Cassandra had never had a slumber party before, either.

Cass stifled a yawn as she watched Rapunzel try to prop up a sagging corner of the fort with a stack of pillows. Rapunzel had made a fort just like this to cheer her up what felt like ages ago, and Cassandra had been so angry about her messing up the room at first. It was weird to think about that now. Cassandra couldn't remember she had upset her so much back then.

Perhaps she had a little perspective now.

"Alright," Rapunzel announced brightly. "It should be perfect." She settled down on the nearest free cushion, beaming up at Cass. "I'm really glad you're back!"

"Me too." Cassandra turned her head to the side, resting her forehead against the wall. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but could we limit the festivities to the sitting-and-talking variety tonight? I'm feeling pretty tired."

"Sure," Rapunzel said, smiling. "We have a lot to catch up on, anyway."

"It's... been a while," Cassandra said wryly. "I _probably_ should have come back to visit sooner, it's just..."

She remembered what Eugene had told her earlier in the gardens. _Rapunzel was devastated when she got the letter saying you wouldn't be able to make it to her wedding._ Guiltily, she ducked her head, avoiding Rapunzel's gaze.

"It's totally fine, Cass," Rapunzel said. "You were busy."

Her tone was jovial, but there was meaning loaded behind her word. _Rapunzel was devastated._ Her mind was like a broken record, replaying those words again and again. She hadn't wanted to hurt her; she had made a promise to herself that she would never hurt Rapunzel again. Cassandra had honestly managed to convince herself that Rapunzel just wouldn't care if she didn't come.

 _And I couldn't bear the thought of seeing her up there on the altar with him._ God, Cassandra really was selfish.

"So!" Rapunzel said, breaking her chain of thought. "You never did tell me what you've been up to these past couple weeks!"

"You first," Cassandra said. "Traveling in the woods does have some downsides; I've missed getting letters from you."

"Nothing much has changed, really," Rapunzel answered. "Besides the wedding, of course. It was so, so great! But, er..."

"I really am sorry I couldn't make it, Raps," Cassandra murmured.

Rapunzel's laugh sounded almost nervous. "Like I said, Cass, no big deal. We had our honeymoon in Arendelle-- I have some cousins there-- and ever since we go back, I've just been getting used to everything. It is a little weird, being married. But a good weird, I think. And an unexpected plus: no one doubts that Eugene belongs here anymore."

Cassandra smirked. "I think the only people that ever _really_ doubted him were me and my dad, Raps. And my dad gets a pass for being the captain of the guards. It does take a little bit of adjusting to see the criminal you were trying so hard to capture suddenly fully pardoned for his crimes and dating the lost princess the next day, after all. I was just mean." 

_And maybe a little jealous._

"No, no, Cass," Rapunzel said. "You weren't mean; you were cautious and careful. You were like that with everyone, and it was a good thing! I needed a friend like that. I was like, recklessly friendly," she added with a smirk. "That's part of why we worked so well together in the first place back then."

"Until we didn't work," Cassandra said softly, distantly.

Rapunzel reached over and clasped one of Cassandra's hands in both of hers. "Hey. But it's working now, right? I want everything to work out for you. I want _us_ to work out."

Cassandra looked at Rapunzel, something dangerously warm and inviting in her wide green eyes that made Cass ache to forget all the reasons she wasn't allowed to kiss her, and blurted out abruptly, "Your hair's growing out."

"Oh, yeah," Rapunzel laughed awkwardly, dropping Cassandra's hand to touch the end of her hair. "A bit. Now that the sundrop's gone, I actually have to cut it pretty regularly now. I've been trying to stick with short, though, it's just that it's been a while since my last cut."

The moment was broken. Cassandra tucked her legs close and folded her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She wished she deserved Rapunzel.

"You look exhausted," the princess commented after a few moments.

"Yeah, I think it might be time for me to go to sleep," she said with a yawn. "I'm sorry we didn't really get to enjoy the pillow fort, I just..."

"Yeah, I get it," Rapunzel said softly. "No worries."

Rapunzel nodded, picked her things up, and left with a tight smile. But sleep did not come to Cass as soon as she had hoped. She couldn't help but feel like there was something off about that conversation with Rapunzel, like she had missed the mark at some point and fell right off the track and if she didn't find a way to recover soon, she'd never get it back. Cassandra wished she knew the right words to apologize to make up for missing the wedding, but she didn't even know how to forgive herself for it.

Cassandra found Rapunzel in one of the gardens outside the palace the next morning, near the training grounds. She was sitting on a fallen log and staring off into the distance, some paints and papers laying unused at her side as if she had brought them out here with the intention of drawing but gotten distracted somewhere along the line. Cassandra cleared her throat to draw the princess's attention.

"Oh, uh, hi, Cass," Rapunzel said.

"You look tired," Cassandra remarked, sitting down beside her on the log. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah." Rapunzel glanced down, her gaze full of uncertainty. "Cassandra... You'd tell me if you didn't actually want to be my friend anymore, right?"

"Of course," Cassandra said sharply, alarmed at the prospect.

"But what if you still wanted to friends with me, hypothetically," Rapunzel continued, "just not _best_ friends anymore? The kind of friends who keep in touch and act all polite but maybe don't make it their #1 priority to go to each other's weddings, or to visit more than once a year? What if you wanted us to be acquaintances?"

"That's not the case, Raps," Cassandra said seriously. "And I would tell you if it were, I promise."

Rapunzel breathed in sharply, almost a sniffle. "I feel terrible saying this, but I just... I don't know if I believe you, Cass."

Cassandra resisted the impulse to flee, to find a way out. The last time she had fled from her problems, it was because of that shiny, taunting wedding invitation the courier had delivered to her inn in Vardaros. She had sent back a hastily written excuse and disappeared into the woods for a few weeks with the hopes of finally clearing her head the next chance she had. Neither solution had been successful.

She couldn't flee. Not if she had hurt Rapunzel as bad as Eugene seemed to think she had, as bad as Rapunzel seemed to be hurting right now. And she couldn't repress this any longer.

She had to try a different approach.

"Rapunzel..." She bit her lip. "Have you ever been through my things before? I mean, when you were cleaning my room or something?"

"Uhh, yeah," Rapunzel said, confused. "I mean, it's only ever been the servants dropping by there since the battle. But yes, there were a few times when I looked through everything. Back when my friends all thought you weren't coming back and weren't sure what I thought we should keep."

"So you know I've got a box of every painting you ever gave me under the bed, besides the one I had with me in my moonstone days," Cassandra said. "You know I left it there for safekeeping when we set out for the Dark Kingdom. And you know I've kept all your friendship bracelets."

Rapunzel nodded, a puzzled look on her face.

"I told you I don't do dumb dances and friendship bracelets and slumber parties," she continued, "but I've done all of those things for you, Raps. I helped you make a pillow fort last night because I wanted to see you smile, even though I ended up ruining it. I know I act all aloof and independent, but it's because I'm so, so scared of actually caring about someone." Cassandra grabbed Rapunzel's hand, ignoring the way her stomach was churning. "Rapunzel, I didn't come home just to get a good night's sleep. I came home to see you."

Rapunzel blinked, and Cassandra could almost see the realization slowly dawning on her. "But then why... I haven't seen you... You missed my _wedding,_ Cass."

"I should've come," Cassandra said. There was something a little too raw and a lot too desperate in her voice as she spoke. "I probably could have made it in time, if I'd hurried. But I couldn't bring myself to. Because I couldn't-- _can't_ \-- think about your wedding without wishing it was me beside you at the altar."

She was crying, she realized a moment too late. She was sitting out in the gardens, confessing her feelings to Rapunzel, and she had just started crying.

Rapunzel was silent for several moments, her mouth a small, round O. Then she drew in a shaky deep breath and smiled.

"So that’s why Eugene keeps asking me what I know about polyamory and homosexuality," she said with a shivery laugh. "I mean, I had my suspicions, but of all the possible explanations, _he suspects your best friend might be in love with you too_ did not seem too likely."

"Too?" Cassandra asked.

"Too," Rapunzel agreed. "I mean, I don’t think I’ve been all that subtle about it. What with all the bombarding you with requests to hang out with me and how I described the way your eyes looked when I saw you laugh for the first time. Might not be strictly friendship behavior, right there."

Cassandra couldn't stop herself from grinning from ear to ear. "Might not be."

The hug didn’t seem to have been initiated by either of them; they fell right into it, Rapunzel’s hands falling around Cass’s waists and Cassandra’s hands wrapped around her shoulders. Cass's cheek was snug against Rapunzel’s neckline, and she felt a sense of _safety_ washing over her, for the first time in a long time.

"Welcome home, Cassandra," Rapunzel whispered into her ear. "How long are you staying?"

"Oh, I don’t know," Cassandra whispered in response. "A week or so can’t hurt. I’ve got some maps back in my room to work on, a Captain of the Guards I could definitely be chewing out right out for something-or-other, maybe about inefficient patrol schedules, I’ll get to the specifics later... My destiny will still be waiting out there for me even if I take a week off, y’know?"

Cassandra could feel Rapunzel’s lips stretch into a smile, tickling her hair. "Yeah. I know. I'm glad you're back, Cass."

"Me too."


End file.
